Larry Nance Jr. says what every Spurs fan was thinking after their latest loss
Larry Nance Jr. posted an oddly specific and perfectly apropos meme on Twitter that perfectly encapsulated how every San Antonio Spurs fan felt after watching their favorite franchise suffer another blowout loss at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.
Although head coach Gregg Popovich has long expressed his disdain for tanking, there is no doubt recent actions from the team seem to suggest they might be intentionally losing games. That isn't to say they are going out there and purposefully chucking terrible shots and letting opponents glide past them for easy buckets.
The Silver and Black have been more covert than other bottom-dwellers. While the Rockets, Pistons, and Hornets have little structure in place and consistently make questionable personnel decisions, San Antonio has set a terrific example of how to hold youngsters accountable and foster their long-term development.
That isn't to say the Spurs haven't fielded some wacky lineups with zero shot at defeating your run-of-the-mill ball club, but most of their strange rotations have been a direct result of injuries tormenting their roster from the start of the season. However, the training staff has probably coddled some minor bumps and bruises, as they should during what could be their best opportunity to land a generational talent in the draft.
Of course, by now, everyone knows the once-in-a-lifetime prospect we're referring to is none other than Victor Wembanyama. The teenage phenom has remarkable ball skills, a smooth shooting stroke, and spectacular rim-protecting instincts packaged into a 7-foot-4 and 230-pound frame.
The Spurs are still trying to remain competitive every night. But when you lack talent, depth, and experience, consistently amassing enough positive possessions over four quarters to emerge victorious is an uphill battle. So while Larry Nance Jr. may be speaking some truth about San Antonio and their hunt for better lottery odds to land Wembanyama, fans can rest easy knowing that isn't the whole story.